Basketball is a joy to play for Nadia Kaiser, but it can come with its share of challenges. When the chips are down, she looks to her teammates for support.
“I just tell myself to calm down and talk to people,” Kaiser answered when asked how she handles high-pressure situations on the court.
From the outside, the versatile Eagle Grove senior appears unshakeable. Whether she’s draining a three to pull the Eagles back in the 4th quarter, directing her teammates during a timeout, or going toe to toe with a rival in Wells Fargo Arena, Kaiser likes to remind herself that basketball is ultimately “just a game.”
It also happens to be a game that she’s quite become quite good at after years of diligence.
“My freshman year is when I really started putting work in. I made varsity. Sophomore year I realized that all of the senior starters were gone. We had to have a couple of girls step up and take the lead,” Kaiser said. “I thought it should be me.”
That enthusiasm for excellence has propelled Kaiser to three straight selections as a Top of Iowa-West All-Conference Honorable Mention. The guard/forward led the Eagles in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots this season and earned a third selection to the elite list.
When asked what nuggets of advice she would give to an up and coming hooper, Kaiser emphasized that training yourself between the ears is just as vital as running sprints or firing shots up.
“The mentality is more important than anything,” she remarked without hesitation. “You have to have a strong mindset to achieve goals.”
